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Yakubu AiyegbeniNigerian footballer, striker
Date of Birth: 22.11.1982
Country:  Nigeria |
Content:
- Early Career
- Israeli Success with Maccabi Haifa
- Premier League Impact with Portsmouth
- Middlesbrough and Everton
- Later Career and International Success
- Honors
Early Career
Yakubu, a Nigerian striker hailing from Benin City, embarked on his football journey at a tender age with Julius Berger of Lagos in the Nigerian Premier League. His impressive performance earned him a loan spell with Portuguese club Gil Vicente.
Israeli Success with Maccabi Haifa
In 1999, at the age of 17, Maccabi Haifa purchased Yakubu's rights from Julius Berger for an estimated $300,000. During his tenure at Maccabi Haifa, he became a two-time Israeli Premier League champion and made a name for himself in the 2002/03 UEFA Champions League, scoring seven goals in eight matches, including a hat-trick against Olympiacos.
Premier League Impact with Portsmouth
In January 2003, Yakubu was transferred to Portsmouth for £4.4 million, helping them gain promotion to the Premier League in the same season. His debut season saw him net 16 goals in 37 appearances, with his first goal coming in just his second match in the English top flight. Despite being linked with Middlesbrough in the summer of 2004, he opted to sign a long-term contract extension with Portsmouth until 2007.
Middlesbrough and Everton
In 2005, Yakubu joined Middlesbrough for £7.5 million and formed a formidable partnership with Australian striker Mark Viduka. He helped the club reach the UEFA Cup final that season and secured their highest-ever Premier League finish of 7th. After scoring 35 goals in 103 appearances for Middlesbrough, Yakubu moved to Everton in August 2007 for a fee of £11.25 million. He marked his Everton debut with a goal and ended the 2007/08 campaign with an impressive 21 goals, including two hat-tricks.
Later Career and International Success
Yakubu's career continued with spells at Leicester City, Blackburn Rovers, and Guangzhou in China. In 2014, he represented Al Rayyan in Qatar before returning briefly to England with Reading in the Championship. He concluded his career in 2016 with Turkish club Kayserispor and English non-league side Boreham Wood.
On the international stage, Yakubu stands as the third-highest goalscorer for the Nigerian national team with 21 goals. He represented Nigeria in four Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, three 2010 FIFA World Cup matches (scoring a goal against South Korea), and the Olympic Games.
Honors
Maccabi Haifa2000/01, 2001/02 Israeli Premier League Champion
Portsmouth
2002/03 Football League Championship Winner
Guangzhou Evergrande
2012, 2013 Chinese Super League Champion
